An Adulteration Act The Lady of the Barge and Others, Part 10.

"An Adulteration Act" by W. W. Jacobs is a funny story set in a time when social classes and rules mattered a lot. It follows Dr. Frank Carson and his lawyer friend, Harry Thomson, after they wake up on a ship, clueless about how they got there. Thinking they're important people from Melbourne, they soon realize they've been tricked into working as part of the ship's crew because of their drunken behavior, a situation the captain is far from satisfied with. The story is all about the funny things that happen as these two try to handle their new roles on the ship. Dr. Carson uses his cleverness to pretend he's helping the captain with his health, all while secretly charging him for it, ultimately tricking the captain. In the end, they get back to land, with the doctor cleverly suggesting the captain was sick because of the awful food—a humorous way to show they managed to outsmart everyone.